Page 38 of Frederick
Five excruciating long minutes passed when my phone vibrated in my pocket. My parents let me know that they had arrived early and we’re ready for me to retrieve them whenever I saw fit. I thought about making them wait the additional ten more minutes, but that also added to Dominic’s stress, and that was the last thing I wanted.
I kissed my One, and then popped into the little building that was just in front of the council. I found my parents alone inside,and wondered where Timothy had gone. It didn’t matter; he wasn’t required to stay in the tiny building. It was there to keep people from suddenly appearing on the mountain in inclement weather.
“Frederick, look at you,” Mother said. “Mated life certainly seems to agrees with you. I don’t think I’ve seen you this happy in a very long time. Dominic must have been what was missing.” Mother gave me a hug and when I wrapped my arms around her small frame, my irritation with them was suddenly gone. They hadn’t show up to be malicious. They simply didn’t think everything through. But in the end, it was better that they were here now rather than later.
“And where is Dominic?” Father asked.
“At the house. There was no need for him to come with me when we were going to be back in just a moment. Are you ready to meet the love of my life?” I asked. The smiles on their faces told me their answer.
All it took was a little more magic, and we were all three instantly standing inside the house that Dominic and I called home. Dominic was there waiting, and I could not only feel his nerves through our bond, simply looking at him showed how he felt.
“Dominic, my love,” I said as I pulled him to me. “These are my parents, Edmund and Dorthea,” I told him. I attempted to wrap a supporting arm around Dominic, but mother had other ideas.
“Oh, isn’t he absolutely glowing,” she said. “Pregnancy certainly agrees with him,” Mother added. “Welcome to the family,” she told him as she pulled my One into a tight hug. In that moment, all nerves I’d felt through our bond disappeared. In their place was nothing but relief and happiness. It was going to be all right.
Chapter 16
Dominic
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the tiny human wasn’t exactly it. Dorthea couldn’t have been much taller than five feet. Despite her tiny stature, she had quite a grip on her hugs. Aside from the physical contact that Frederick and I had, I could not recall the last time I had been given a hug by anyone. Even my own parents, it was simply not something that we shared between each other.
“Let me get another look at you,” Dorthea said, as she let go of me. When she took a step back she reached for my hands. Unsure what exactly to do, I let her take them. She held my hands out in front of us, and when she started swinging them back-and-forth. I couldn’t stop my smile.
“I just don’t know what it is about warlocks, but every last one of them is gorgeous,” Dorthea said. She shook her head, and I looked to Frederick for help. “Of course, I am biased, but I’m not sure that anyone could deny it.”
Frederick took my hands from his mother and offered her a smile while doing so. “All right, mother. You are making Dominic uncomfortable with all of your flirting.”
If she wasn’t my mother-in-law, this would certainly be uncomfortable. As it was, it was actually a bit comical.
“I’m all right,” I told Frederick. “You know I don’t mind hugs,” I added. As it was, Frederick had disentangled Dorthea from me and I smiled down at the tiny human. “I appreciate all of the compliments,” I told her. “It is very nice to meet you.” I looked over at Edmund and held out my hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you too, sir.”
“It is nice to meet you as well,” he told me. “But there is no need for such formalities. Edmund is perfectly fine. I wouldn’t expect for you to call me father just yet.” The older warlock winked at me, and that gesture, combined with his words and warm smile erased any lingering traces of unease.
“Please, come in,” I told them as I stepped aside and gestured into the house. It seemed as if we were always standing in the entryway. “Can I get either of you anything to drink? Coffee? Tea? Something else?”
“Aren’t you just the sweetest,” Dorthea said. “If it isn’t too much trouble I would love some tea.”
“Of course, no trouble at all. Do you have a specific type you prefer? How do you take it? Sugar? Honey? Cream?”
Dorthea smiled up at me as I placed a hand on the top of her back to usher her further into the house. Already, I was feeling very much at ease with her, and I hoped that meant only good things for what I had hoped would be our relationship going forward. I wanted to make a good impression on Frederick’s parents. It felt incredibly important to me.
“I drink it with just a bit of cream and nothing else,” she told me.
“Just cream. We can certainly handle that.” I guided her into the back room and led her over to the sofa. Once she was settled, I held out my hands with what I hoped was an acceptable cup of tea. “Here you are,” I said, offering her the mug.
“Thank you, dear.” Dorthea looked over my shoulder and smiled. When I followed her gaze, I saw that Frederick andhis father had been right behind us. “He’s such a gentleman, Frederick. You are very lucky when it comes to who you were gifted as your one.”
Frederick and I shared a look, and you would think that someone my age wouldn’t be able to blush at this point, but I found myself with warming cheeks. The last thing that Frederick would call me most of the time would be a gentleman. I could certainly be one when needed, but he knew a completely different side of me as well. Especially in the bedroom.
“I truly am lucky, Frederick said “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve such a man, but I am forever thankful that he was gifted to me.”
“That is usually how it works,” Edmund said. “It seems as if when we least expect it, that is exactly when we will find the one fated to be with them. So, tell us how the two of you met,” Edmund said as he sat down. Frederick reached out to me and placed his hand on my waist. I leaned into him a little while he directed me to one of the chairs that was angled toward the sofa. Once I was settled, Frederick sat on the arm of the chair beside me with his hand gently resting on my shoulder. If we were going to have visitors, perhaps we should get a love seat, or maybe just a second sofa.
“I was at Amherst to ask some follow up questions regarding Dominic’s birth coven,” Frederick told them. “There was a new situation that arose, and we needed to ask those that were placed with Master Arthur if they knew anything regarding them. It really was just as simple as that,” Frederick said.
“Were there sparks between the two of you?” Dorthea asked.
“Not exactly,” I told her while smiling. “At least not in a way that one would think when it comes to fated mates meeting each another for the first time.” There was the expected body’s reaction to him, but I definitely wouldn’t call the moments, and hours after our initial meeting spark inducing.
